Russell Howard's Good News on BBC Three
Mock The Week Regular hosts Topical Comedy Show
Oct 29, 2009
One of the most annoying and patronising ventures to ever exist in the world of television is “yoof TV”, that is a avenue filled with attractive people that's aimed at under-25s, centring on crude humour and a wannabe cool attitude. On the whole it’s bloody awful. Worse is that BBC Three was pretty much invented to gain an audience for this stuff meaning there’s a load of horrible comedies in between repeats of Doctor Who and Family Guy.
So has the channel done the impossible and made a youth targeted comedy show that doesn’t suck? Russell Howard’s Good News might just be the remedy. Here Mock The Week regular Howard takes a view on the week’s news (how original, you yawn) but presents makes it into a stand-up routine complete with a handful of sketches. Kind of like Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle except not as biting or brilliant, or relevant to anyone who remembers the ‘90s.
Russell Howard’s take on BNP on Question Time
After only five minutes of Good News it’s obvious that if anything Mock The Week has been holding back the talents of Howard, given that on there most of the attention is given to Frankie Boyle and Andy Parsons as they regurgitate lines from their stand-up routines. In his element he’s an intelligent and energetic performer who detracts from the usual misery tract taken up by many comics on TV.
From the outset, with the title sequence containing tabloid stock phrases such as “I’m not racist but...” and “political correctness gone mad”, it appears that this is yet another show where a leftie comedian pokes fun at the ridiculous nature of the right-wing press epitomised by The Daily Mail, which although a clichéd target really does need a constant kicking.
In reality Russell Howard’s Good News takes a sideways glance at the news using newspaper clippings and videos to make light of events or how they are presented. On a different slant to recent front page splashes about bad rascism and stuff his piece about the BNP's Nick Griffin on Question Time focused on showing some random fat bloke who kept walking in shot during live news broadcasts of the protest outside BBC.
Russell Howard’s Good version of the News
As it stands the mainstream media is a dangerous place riddled with irresponsible reporting that only exacerbates already delicate situations by making them worse.
Howard’s approach aims to steer away from the “everything’s going to hell in a handcart” crowd who complain about the tiniest detail in order to promote their prejudiced agendas but instead deliver a more positive message that we only get one chance to live so let’s spend less time being miserable and negative.
At the end of the first week he referred to the recent story of a drunken student in Sheffield who urinated on a war memorial. Although he rightly derided the guy Howard knew that this incident would only serve to fuel the commentators who moan about binge drinking and the youth of today having no consideration, so he dug out a less publicised but uplifting interview where another student was offered a reward for a good deed he did instead gave the money to the victim as she needed it more. Guess the Express ran out of time for that one.
Good News is funny but not for everyone
Two episodes in and this is a funny show that isn’t for everyone though as Howard’s excitable delivery can be irritating, so those who aren’t impressed by his contributions to MTW won’t find this appealing and some of the material and clips has been used before elsewhere. It’s great to see him squirm in the mystery guest segment even if that whole section doesn’t work too well in practice.
On the plus side now that Boyle has decided to quit MTW Howard may get more of a chance to unleash some of his insights without coming across as an intrusive teenager vying for attention.
Russell Howard’s Good News is on BBC Three every Thursday at 10.30pm.
